familyEuphorbiaceae
genusAcalypha
speciesAcalypha virginica

Acalypha virginica

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 2: 1003. 1753.

Geoffrey A. Levin
Common names: Virginia threeseeded mercury
WeedyIllustratedEndemic
Synonyms: Acalypha digyneia Rafinesque
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 12. Treatment on page 171. Mentioned on page 164, 170.
Please click on the illustration for a higher resolution version.
Illustrator: Barbara Alongi

Copyright: Flora of North America Association

Herbs, annual, 1–5 dm, monoecious. Stems usually erect, sometimes ascending, pubescent and usually hirsute. Leaves: petiole 0.3–7 cm; blade narrowly rhombic to broadly lanceolate, 1–8 (–11) × 0.5–3 (–4) cm, base acute, margins serrate, apex acute to acuminate. Inflorescences bisexual, axillary; peduncle 0.1–0.6 cm, pistillate portion 0.7–1.5 × 1.3–1.7 cm or pistillate bract solitary, staminate portion 0.3–1 (–1.8) cm; allomorphic pistillate flowers absent. Pistillate bracts loosely arranged to crowded (inflorescence axis clearly to scarcely visible between bracts) or solitary, 6–13 × 9–20 mm, abaxial surface hirsute and sometimes stipitate-glandular; lobes (9–) 10–14 (–16), triangular, 1/4–1/2 bract length. Pistillate flowers: pistil 3-carpellate; styles multifid or laciniate. Capsules smooth, pubescent. Seeds (1.2–) 1.5–1.6 (–1.8) mm, minutely pitted.


Phenology: Flowering and fruiting summer–fall.
Habitat: Deciduous and evergreen woods, riverbanks, agricultural fields, disturbed areas.
Elevation: 30–1200 m.

Distribution

V12 225-distribution-map.jpg

Ala., Ark., Conn., Del., D.C., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Md., Mass., Mich., Miss., Mo., Nebr., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., R.I., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Va., W.Va.

Discussion

Acalypha virginica overlaps geographically with A. rhomboidea but is more frequently found in grassy or prairielike habitats. See the discussion of 15. A. rhomboidea for notes on the nomenclatural and taxonomic confusion associated with these species.

Acalypha virginica and A. gracilens can sometimes be difficult to distinguish, especially when young. They can generally be distinguished by the pistillate bracts, which in A. virginica are hirsute and lack red sessile glands abaxially and in A. gracilens are sparsely pubescent and bear some red sessile glands abaxially.

Reports of Acalypha virginica from states other than those listed here are based on misidentifications.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"elongated" is not a number."connate" is not a number. "distinct" is not a number.

... more about "Acalypha virginica"
RDF feed
Abaxial surface pubescence
stipitate-glandular +  and hirsute +
Achene reproduction
allomorphic +
Adaxial gland prominence
inconspicuous +
Anther architecture
twisted +
Anther dehiscence
dehiscing +
Apex shape
acute;acuminate +
Author
Geoffrey A. Levin +
Authority
Linnaeus +
Base architecture or shape
pinnate +
Base shape
acute +
Blade atypical length
8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br /> (11 cm110 mm <br />0.11 m <br />) +
Blade atypical width
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
Blade length
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (8 cm80 mm <br />0.08 m <br />) +
Blade shape
narrowly rhombic;broadly lanceolate +
Blade width
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
Bract architecture
pistillate +
Bract architecture or arrangement or growth form
solitary +
Bract arrangement
loosely arranged +  and crowded or solitary +
Bract length
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br />) +
Bract width
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (?) +  and 2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (?) +
Branch shape
thread-like +
Capsule architecture or pubescence or relief
smooth +
Capsule pubescence
pubescent +
Caruncle presence
absent +
Caruncle prominence
rudimentary +
Common name
Virginia threeseeded mercury +
Cyme arrangement
fascicles +
Distribution
Ala. +, Ark. +, Conn. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Ky. +, La. +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, Nebr. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Va. +  and W.Va. +
Elevation
30–1200 m. +
Flower architecture
pistillate +
Flower architecture or arrangement or growth form
solitary +
Flower presence
absent +
Flower reproduction
allomorphic +
Fruit dehiscence
septicidal +
Fruit reproduction
allomorphic +
Gland presence
absent +
Habitat
Deciduous and evergreen woods, riverbanks, agricultural fields, disturbed areas. +
Hair architecture
unbranched +
Hair architecture or function or pubescence
glandular +
Hair presence
absent +
Hypanthium presence
absent +
Illustration
Present +
Illustration copyright
Flora of North America Association +
Illustrator
Barbara Alongi +
Inflorescence position
axillary +
Inflorescence reproduction
bisexual +
Laminar gland architecture
palmate +
Laminar gland presence
absent +
Latex presence
absent +
Leaf architecture
simple +
Leaf architecture or arrangement
fascicled +
Leaf arrangement
alternate +
Leaf duration
drought-deciduous +  and persistent +
Lobe atypical quantity
14 (16) +
Lobe quantity
1/4 (1/2) +
Lobe shape
triangular +
Margin architecture
palmate +  and pinnate +
Margin architecture or shape
serrate +
Margin shape
crenate +  and subentire +
Nectary presence
absent +
Number of lower taxa
0 +
Ovary architecture or structure in adjective form
(1-)3-5(-20)-locular +
Ovary placentation
axile +
Ovary position
superior +
Ovule orientation
anatropous +
Ovule quantity
1 +
Pedicel presence
absent +
Pedicel quantity
allomorphic +, pistillate +  and staminate +
Peduncle some measurement
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
Perianth position
hypogynous +
Petal atypical quantity
5 (6) +
Petal fusion
connate;distinct +
Petal presence
absent +
Petal quantity
5 +
Petiole presence
absent +
Petiole some measurement
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (7 cm70 mm <br />0.07 m <br />) +
Phenology
Flowering and fruiting summer–fall. +
Pistil architecture
3-carpellate +
Pistil quantity
1 +
Pistillode presence
absent +
Portion architecture
staminate +  and pistillate +
Portion atypical some measurement
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br />) +
Portion length
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
Portion some measurement
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
Portion width
1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br /> (1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br />) +
Publication title
Sp. Pl. +
Publication year
1753 +
Reference
None +
Schizocarp reproduction
allomorphic +
Seed atypical some measurement
0.16 cm1.6 mm <br />0.0016 m <br /> (0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br />) +
Seed quantity
1 +
Seed relief
pitted +
Seed shape
ellipsoid +  and subglobose +
Seed some measurement
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.16 cm1.6 mm <br />0.0016 m <br />) +
Sepal architecture
not petaloid +
Sepal arrangement or dehiscence
valvate +
Sepal atypical some measurement
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
Sepal fusion
distinct +
Sepal presence
absent +
Sepal quantity
3;4 +
Sepal some measurement
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
Slit dehiscence or orientation
longitudinal +
Source xml
https://bibilujan@bitbucket.org/aafc-mbb/fna-fine-grained-xml.git/src/84153f6d59a0a91d69695978a64cee7560374f8e/V12/V12 225.xml +
Special status
Weedy +, Illustrated +  and Endemic +
Stamen atypical quantity
35 (1000) +
Stamen fusion
distinct +
Stamen quantity
4;8 +
Stem orientation
ascending +  and erect +
Stem pubescence
hirsute +  and pubescent +
Stigma quantity
1;32 +
Stipule duration
deciduous +  and persistent +
Stipule presence
absent +
Style architecture
unbranched +
Style atypical quantity
1 (3) +
Style fusion
connate +  and distinct +
Style quantity
3 +
Style shape
laciniate +  and multifid +
Subtending flower architecture
pistillate +
Subtending flower size
enlarging +
Synonyms
Acalypha digyneia +
Taxon family
Euphorbiaceae +
Taxon name
Acalypha virginica +
Taxon parent
Acalypha +
Taxon rank
species +
Thyrse shape
spikelike +
Volume
Volume 12 +
Whole organism architecture
unarmed +
Whole organism duration
annual +
Whole organism growth form
herb +
Whole organism reproduction
monoecious +
Whole organism some measurement
1dm (5dm) +
X chromosome quantity
10 +